1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a dry, meaty pet food having an appearance and texture that resembles meat being marbled throughout with fat, and which has a moisture content of less than 15 percent by weight.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Only one pet food is known to exist which resembles meat marbled throughout with fat. This product and processes for manufacturing it are clearly described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,380,832 and 3,765,902. This product, however, is of the semi-moist type characterized as having a moisture content of between 20 and 50 percent by weight.
Conventional dry type pet foods are characterized as having a moisture content of 15 percent by weight or less. No product resembling meat marbled throughout with fat is known to exist as a dry pet food. These conventional dry pet foods when distributed in the normal marketing system are characterized as having hard, brittle structures and as a consequence relatively small particle size and only a nominal resemblance to meat. A conventional dry pet food typically has the following formulation:
______________________________________ Percent by Weight Amylaceous ingredients 24-50 Animal protein source 5-25 Vegetable protein source 10-30 Fat source 5-15 Supplements (vitamins, minerals, flavoring, etc.) 1-5 Water 5-15 ______________________________________
Due to the hard, brittle nature of these dry pet foods, it is often necessary to moisten them with water or mix them with moist foods in order to increase their palatability to a sufficient degree to obtain consumption. Furthermore, as shown by the above formulation, conventional dry pet foods often contain amylaceous ingredients including cereal grains at levels as high as 50 percent. The amylaceous content at any level, and especially at a high level of amylaceous ingredients is a stigma against a meat image that pet food manufacturers attempt to convey to customers of dry type pet foods. For these reasons it would be beneficial to provide a dry pet food having a soft, elastic texture and that resembles raw meat marbled throughout with fat.